Noble Roberts collection OBU.0174 Finding aid prepared by Phyllis Kinnison This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit August 30, 2012 Describing Archives: A Content Standard Ouachita Baptist University Library 6/22/2012 410 Ouachita Street Box 3742 Arkadelphia, Arkansas, Clark County, 71998 870-245-5332 kinnisonp@obu.edu
Table of Contents Summary Information... 3 Biographical/Historical Note... 4... 4 Administrative Information...5 Controlled Access Headings...5 Collection Inventory... 8 Series I: Oral History Tapes: 2006... 8 Series II: Photographs: 1908, circa 1910, 2006...9 Series III: Noble Roberts Autobiography, 1998... 10 - Page 2 -
Summary Information Repository Ouachita Baptist University Library Creator Roberts, Noble, 1925- Title Noble Roberts collection Date 1862-1998, 2006 Extent 0.2 Cubic feet 1 accordion folder Language English Language of Materials English Preferred Citation Noble Roberts collection. Ouachita Baptist University Collection. Riley-Hickingbotham Special Collections. Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia, Arkansas. - Page 3 -
Biographical/Historical Note Noble Roberts was born in 1925 to Newman and Emma (McCallum) Roberts. His birth took place in his grandmother s (Hernando Roberts) house on the Graysonia road. He grew up in the Clark County, Arkansas, and Desha County, Arkansas, areas. In 1942 he graduated from high school in Watson, Arkansas. During World War II, Roberts was a Signalman third class (1943-1946) in the U. S. Coast Guard. He was a crew member aboard the U. S. Coast Guard ship LST 793, which saw duty in the North China Sea and the Philippine Islands. In 1951 Roberts earned a baccalaureate in biology and chemistry from Ouachita Baptist College. While there, he helped establish the Third Baptist Church of Arkadelphia. He later earned a doctorate in biology and chemistry. Roberts worked as a junior and senior high school teacher and administrator. His professional life also included higher education teaching and administration and public health administration. By 1955 Roberts owned and operated a farm supply business and grain elevator in Watson, Arkansas, along with two other men E. L. Craig and C. B. Harrod. They promoted the raising of pink tomatoes among the farmers of the region, built a receiving and processing facility, graded and packaged the produce the farmers brought in, and shipped the tomatoes on large tandem reefer trucks to central and eastern markets. Roberts was ordained as a deacon of the First Baptist Church of Watson on August 7, 1955. His pastor at that time was Frank Hickingbotham. Roberts and his wife Frances (Maxson) Roberts currently live in Shelbyville, Kentucky. Noble Roberts (b. 1925) relates his remembrances of his Clark County, Arkansas, ancestors in this oral history collection. The materials include four audio cassette tapes, a photograph album of replicated photos and a folder containing three photographs along with a list of the names of the people pictured. A transcript will be completed and added to the collection at a later date. Roberts sent additional photographs, duplications of photographs and an autobiography/family history to the Clark County Historical Association in 1998. Those items were added to this collection. - Page 4 -
Administrative Information Publication Information Ouachita Baptist University Library 6/22/2012 Conditions Governing Access This collection is open for research. Manuscripts may only be photocopied by Special Collections staff. Researchers are required to use transcripts when available for their initial access to audio material. Audio tape materials have been migrated to CDs for user copies. Researchers may not make copies of any audiovisual materials. Any approved copying will be done by staff personnel at the researcher s expense. The original audio tapes are to be available for patron use subject to the discretion of the Director of Library Services and the Archivist. Conditions Governing Use Permission to examine archival materials does not constitute permission to publish. Any publication of such materials beyond the limits of fair use requires specific prior written permission. Requests for permission to publish should be addressed in writing to the Head of Special Collections, Riley- Hickingbotham Library, 410 Ouachita Street, Box 3742, Arkadelphia, AR 71998-0001. When permission to publish is granted, two copies of the publication will be requested for the Riley-Hickingbotham Library Special Collections. Controlled Access Headings Corporate Name(s) Alpine Cemetery (Clark County, Ark.). Antoine Valley Railroad. Arkadelphia Elementary School. Arkansas Confederate Infantry, 23rd Regiment. Bethel Union Church (Clark County, Ark.). Davidson Campground (Ark.). DeGray Baptist Church (Clark County, Ark.). DeGray School. Golden Cemetery (Clark County, Ark.). - Page 5 -
Gurdon & Ft. Smith Railroad. Ouachita Baptist College. Ouachita Baptist University. Third Baptist Church (Arkadelphia, Ark.). U.S. Coast Guard Ship LST 793. Noble Roberts collection OBU.0174 Family Name(s) Roberts family Geographic Name(s) Caddo River--History. Clark County (Ark.) Graysonia (Ark.) Ouachita River (Ark. and La.). Personal Name(s) Blackmon, George Truett, Dr., 1903-1979 Devitt, Eliza Crane Balch, 1850-1921 Devitt, Michael, 1848-1891 Kinney, William F., 1829-1862 McCallum, Ellen Harriet Kenny, 1862-1938 McCallum, John Webster, 1861-1935 Roberts, Daniel Monroe, 1874-1930 Roberts, Daniel W., 1838-1903 Wilson, Joseph Sanford, 1844-1934 Subject(s) Confederate States of America. Army. Arkansas Infantry Regiment, 23rd. Depressions--1929--Arkansas--Anecdotes. Depressions--1929--United States--Personal narratives. Depressions--1929--United States. Depressions--1929. Farmers--Caddo River Valley--History. Great Depression, 1929. Rivers--Arkansas--History. - Page 6 -
Stock Market Crash, 1929. Tusculum College (Tenn.)--History. Noble Roberts collection OBU.0174 - Page 7 -
Series I: Oral History Tapes: 2006 Collection Inventory Series I: Oral History Tapes: 2006 A. Tape #1: July 24, 2006 (23 minutes) (patrons must use CD) Tape #1 contains Roberts s remembrances of his Clark County ancestors. Names included are Newman Roberts (1899-1976) and Emma McCallum (1900-1995). Present here is information about Arkadelphia Elementary School, Clark County Poor Farm, Graysonia Sawmill, Mill Creek, Davidson Campground, Clark County Road Equipment, Rob May Store and Key Building (used as a school). B. Tape #2: July 28, 2006 (31 minutes) (patrons must use CD) Scope and Content Tape #2 contains Roberts s remembrances of his Clark County ancestors including Daniel and Hermand Devitt Roberts, David and Elizabeth Carmichael Cagle, Samuel and Julia Crane Balch, John and Lenotah Pierson Wilson, James and Amanda Bledsoe Cash, and John and Ellen Kinney McCallum. C. Tape #3: July 30, 2006 (27 minutes) (patrons must use CD) On Tape #3, Roberts recalls John and Harriet Kinney McCallum and William and Lucy Wilson. He also talks about the Civil War service of William Kinney. - Page 8 -
D. Tape #4: August 3, 2006 (13 minutes) (patrons must use CD) D. Tape #4: August 3, 2006 (13 minutes) (patrons must use CD) Roberts s remembrances of Michael Devitt, Eliza Balch Devitt, Damiel W. Roberts, and Susan Cagle Roberts are included on Tape #4. E. Transcriptions A transcript is currently unavailable. Series II: Photographs: 1908, circa 1910, 2006 A. Photo Album: 2006 The photo album includes printed copies of photographs of Robert s family, grave markers, the DeGray Baptist Church, Graysonia buildings, Roberts during World War II, and the U. S. Coast Guard ship LST 793. B. Photographs: 1908, circa 1910 - Page 9 -
C. Photographs, Additional: 1862-1997 Photographs include printed copies of three photographs of Daniel W. Roberts, 1838-1903 (date of photograph unknown); Hickory Grove School Group (circa 1910); and DeGray School class (1908). Lists of class members are included. Photographs and documents were left in original order. C. Photographs, Additional: 1862-1997 Additional photographs include a printed copy of a class photograph from Hickory Grove School (circa 1910) with a document identifying the people in the picture. Also includes either photographs or printed copies of Noble L. Roberts (1997 and 1943); Newman, Noble, and Emma Roberts (1925); Michael and Elisa Devitt (circa 1890); John and Ellen McCallum Family of DeGray, Arkansas (1901); William Kenney, great grandfather of Noble Roberts (1862); Daniel W. Roberts and his 2nd wife (circa 1901 or 1903); and Daniel Monroe and Hernando Devitt Roberts (circa 1915). Series III: Noble Roberts Autobiography, 1998 This series contains a nine page autobiography of Noble Roberts, which includes stories from his family s history. Also contains a photocopy of a photograph of the railroad station at Graysonia, Arkansas. - Page 10 -